Washington’s District 308 School Board adopted a policy for use of the new football/baseball viewing deck and appointed a committee to choose a name for it at its meeting Tuesday.
“I think it’ll be done before the first game on (Sept.) 17,” Superintendent Dr. Jim Dunnan said.
Tickets for the viewing deck are $12 each.
Washington Community High School will receive $4 from each ticket sale. The Panther Football Alumni Association and the 12th Man Organization, which coordinated fundraising and building plans for the building, will receive the remaining $8 to help pay off the loan taken out to build the facility. The group will provide the district with an up-to-date balance on the outstanding loan each year on or before Jan. 30.
Groups may reserve the second-floor viewing deck based on availability by contacting Dunnan. The price to reserve the entire second floor viewing deck, which has a capacity of 120 people, is $1,440.
Dunnan said the building will be viewed as a home viewing area, not a visitor’s area. He reserves the right to limit group sales to those associated with the school or who are Washington residents.
The committee chosen to name the facility is made up of Brad Fuller and Jim Linsley, both members of the Panther Football Alumni Association; Dunnan, athletic director Herb Knoblauch and board members Jim Gerkin and Chris Armstrong.
The committee will recommend a name for the building at the Sept. 13 meeting of the school board.
In other business the board:
• heard concerns from supporters of the school’s soccer program.
Concerns included parking, lighting and visibility of the program.
“One thing that is a concern is the condition of our announcement booth,” said Melody Wiseman. “In the past year it’s been broken into several times. We need a new one.”
Equipment was stolen. Wiseman said that temporary storage is being used this year so the equipment will be safe.
Wiseman added that in an attempt to get the soccer program in the public eye, members of the program will be collecting gently used soccer shoes and balls this fall through the Washington Park District’s soccer program, cleaning them and distributing them for a small fee.
“Soccer shoes and soccer balls can be quite expensive,” she said. “Hopefully that’ll help some of the parents out in our community. It’ll also put our young men and our young ladies out there in the public eye for everyone to know that Washington has a soccer program and that our kids are out there to do some community service as well.”
